New Grey Checklist

[Maunaolu]

Hi,

 

I am new to this forum and I am sure this question has been asked before. Any thoughts or direction to the appropriate post is appreciated. I am very close to purchasing a CAG from a local breeder. The parrot's almost three months, has been hand-fed early, is weaned for a week, very calm, easily handled by me a complete stranger, one or two little chirps, has fledged and flapping a bit across room. Breeder seems to be well-informed, long-time bird person (over 30 assorted birds at home), helpful and caring. This parrot is surviving chick (others apparently eaten(?) by other birds in community cage) from first-time breeding pair - female bred before, male hadn't.

 

So - what should I keep in mind, look for as I make a decision?

 

Thanks,

Martin

[Makena]

Aloha,

 

I see you are in Hawaii. We recently purchased our CAG from a breeder on Oahu (we live on Maui) and while we absolutely love and adore the little guy, he came with many problems. We brought him in for his first wellness check and found out he had bird lice. Apparently it is VERY uncommon on the mainland, but here in Hawaii it is prevalent. We got the lice under control only to notice he was having a hard time keeping food down. We rushed him into the vet again and found out he had roundworms. The vet attributed both of these problems with being around other birds. Many hundreds of dollars in vet bills later he is now happy and healthy!

 

We contacted the breeder and let him know about all of the problems and he was less than helpful. Basically we were ignored. And on top of it, we were told he was almost completely weaned, only to find out he was nowhere close!! We have had him almost 2 months now and he is still on 1-2 handfeedings a day. We did NOT want to have to handfeed a bird as it is dangerous... but we didn't have a choice in the matter!

 

So there is my story... The only reason I am telling you this is to BE CAREFUL! Make sure the bird you buy comes with some kind of guarantee. A lot of times you have a couple of days within buying the bird to take them to the vet. Take him to the vet immediately!! Tell the vet you want them to analyze a feather and poop sample under the microscope. Also do a gram stain. Make sure the breeder will work with you and be available to you after you get the bird. Our breeder wouldn't return our calls or emails after the fact!

 

You are doing the right thing by coming on here and asking these questions! I wish you luck... and don't hesitate to PM me if you want more information. I have learned a lot over the past few months! Welcome to the forums!!

[judygram]

Makena has given you some excellent advice, but it sounds like you have already made your choice. Let us know how it goes, Martin.

Why don't you introduce yourself in the welcome room.

[lovemyGreys]

Makena has given you some great advice. I would say make sure your baby is fully weaned before bringing him home,if you have never owned a grey before the hand feeding may be to much for you.Make sure you get some health guarantee with the bird,if he has been in a community aviary you dont know what diseases the other birds could be harbouring.Ask the breeder not to clip his flight feathers, he needs to learn to fly before you make a decision about clipping his wings.

[BMustee]

I got a bird from a local breeder and I had a total opposite experience. I was referred to the breeder though a parrot refuge that did not have any Greys at the time and was told that Jack (the breeder) was the best in town. I went over to his home and checked out the parents and saw they were very well cared for and happy. I then got to meet the babies and feel in love. The babies were still on three hand feedings a day, but I was familiar with the procedure, as I have done it with wild baby birds. The breeder had me come for over for the feedings for a few days so he could see me do it and get the baby used to me feeding him. He told he normally does not sell unweaned babies but because I only live 3-5 miles from him I got to take him home with the orders that if I was unsure about ANYTHING that I was to call him immediately no matter what the time of day or night. He called me the next day...he wanted to know how he was doing and if I had any questions so far. I still talk to him about once a month now and he is always glad to hear about how my baby is doing. He had told me about other birds he had breed and sold, and still talks to many of his customers about the birds he sold them.

 

I just wanted to tell my story to let you know how a breeder SHOULD be…although I do not want anyone to think that a getting an unweaned baby is a good idea.

[Falconeer]

Welcome to the family.

 

Get the bird after it's been properl;y weaned and just be patient with it once you bring it home. You are bringing it home to a new enviornment so it will be a bit shy/nervous at first. Just give it a few weeks to know the place and you.

 

You are going to get yourself a new best friend soon.

[Guest briansmum]

great advice here, nothing i can add. but welcome to the forums and good luck in finding the right baby for you

[Maunaolu]

Thanks all for the info. Since posting I spoke to the breeder again. He offered a one year guarantee on health. Not sure what that means really, what's typical practice? - is that vet bills reimbursed? I forgot to mention that he started weaning the bird last week, checks its crop regularly and is allowing its flight feathers to grow out. When I handled the bird, it was stepping up on my hands, walking up my arm and sitting on my shoulder which I thought with what little I know was a pretty good indication given these birds seem to have the reputation of being shy/timid (at first meeting at least). I haven't made the decision yet. I am pondering the commmitment. My biggest concern is my travel schedule where I can be away for week or two at a time, maybe twice a year. Could that create a problem?

 

Lastly, any telltale signs off the bat that may indicate some physical ailments?

 

Thanks again for all the input - where's the welcome room?

[Maunaolu]

Forgot to mention - breeder is happy for me to take bird to vet for health check.

[lovemyGreys]

A one year health guarantee is great Not many breeders will offer that long. I doubt it will cover any reimbursement for vet fees, most people i know have pet insurance, well worth getting if it available where you are.

If you are going to be away at times & if it;s only a couple of times a year i dont see any problems as long as you have someone who can care for your bird, in your own home is best, or someone your bird will be use to.

 

When you say physical ailments, do you mean physical signs of illness ? birds are great at covering up illness, the tell tale signs would be showing signs of being lethargic ,loss of appetite, any distinct changes in the poop, sitting fluffed up continuously & resting on two feet instead of one,

 

once you own a grey you pretty much know what is normal for your bird, anything that is out of character for your bird you will pick up on.

[judygram]

If you need to be away for a week or two several times a year, you definitely need someone else to get to know your bird and be able to handle it to take care of it while you are away. You don't say whether you live with other people, spouse, childen, but maybe someone like that could do the job when you are away.

 

When you take your bird in for a vet visit, you will find out if anything is not as it should be, but once you get it home you will observe what is normal and notice when it is not normal by being with it on a daily basis.